| | | English Immigration to America Timeline | |
| | 1585 | English Immigration to America begins in 1585 when the famous English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh sponsored the first colonists who settled on Roanoke Island. | |
| | | | |
| | 1587 | The first child born of English parents in America was called Virginia Dare who was born August 18, 1587 | |
| | | | |
| | 1607 | The English established the Jamestown settlement in the Virginia Colony | |
| | | | |
| | 1618 | The introduction of the Headright System substantially increased the number of English migrants to America. | |
| | | | |
| | 1619 | This was year when English immigrants introduced the first African slaves to the British colonies | |
| | | | |
| | 1620 | The Mayflower Pilgrims landed in America who established the Plymouth Colony | |
| | | | |
| | 1624 | The 1623-1624 Famine hit the north and north-west of England and more people considered the option of emigrating to the New World | |
| | | | |
| | 1626 | An important date when the early immigrants founded the New York Colony | |
| | | | |
| | 1634 | George Calvert, Lord Baltimore founded the colony of Maryland that became home to Catholic, Anglican and Baptist immigrants | |
| | | | |
| | 1636 | The rebel Puritans Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson established the Rhode Island Colony in order to obtain religious freedom | |
| | | | |
| | 1636 | The Puritan Thomas Hooker led a group of colonists to found Connecticut Colony | |
| | | | |
| | 1638 | The Delaware Colony was established and colonized by Quaker, Catholic, Lutheran and Jewish immigrants | |
| | | | |
| | 1638 | The Puritan John Mason founded the New Hampshire Colony | |
| | | | |
| | 1642 | Many of the early English immigrants returned to England to fight in the English Civil War which raged from 1642 to 1651. | |
| | | | |
| | 1653 | Anglican and Baptist immigrants established the colony of North Carolina | |
| | | | |
| | 1663 | Anglican and Baptist immigrants established the colony of South Carolina | |
| | | | |
| | 1664 | Lord Berkeley and George Carteret founded the New Jersey Colony which was first colonized by different religious sects of Quakers, Catholics, Lutherans and Jews | |
| | | | |
| | 1665 | The Great Plague of London killed an estimated 100,000 people, about 15% of London's population died of the Bubonic Plague. The Great Fire of London (1666) helped to wipe out the disease. | |
| | | | |
| | 1682 | William Penn established the Pennsylvania Colony initially for Quakers who were soon joined by Catholic, Lutheran and Jewish settlers | |
| | | | |
| | 1688 | The French Indian Wars (1688-1763) began and would last for 75 years during which time additional land and new trading opportunities became available to the English immigrants. | |
| | | | |
| | 1689 | The parliament in England passed the English Bill of Rights, many of its principles would later feature in the Constitution of the United States and therefore extremely important to migrants | |
| | | | |
| | 1732 | James Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia that was settled by Anglican and Baptist immigrants. | |
| | | | |
| | 1727 | Famine of 1727–1728 in the Midlands results in more people deciding to emigrate | |
| | | | |
| | 1775 | The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 starting the American Revolutionary War which would have a profound effect on the lives of immigrants to America. The English immigrants believed their rights and liberties were being abused and they were being treated as inferior to people in England. | |
| | | | |
| | 1776 | The most significant document in the history of America, the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 | |
| | | | |
| | 1783 | Continental Congress officially declared the end to the American Revolutionary War on April 11, 1783 | |
| | | | |
| | 1783 | Congress officially declared the end to the American Revolutionary War on April 11, 1783 and the British colonies became American colonies who welcomed immigrants from many other countries. | |
| | | | |
| | 1800's | Over 2 million English immigrants moved to America in the 1800's. | |
| | | | |
| | 1831 | Between 1831-50 a Cholera epidemic begins in London. More than 55,000 people die in outbreaks across England and Wales. | |
| | | | |
| | 1892 | Immigration to America exploded in the 1880's and the US began to pass laws to restrict immigration. The Ellis Island immigration center was opened where migrants from Europe, including England, were required to undertake to medical and legal inspections. | |
| | | | |
| | 1907 | The 1907 Immigration Act was a law that was passed to restrict the number of immigrants. It also established the Dillingham Commission whose report led to further stringent and specific immigration restrictions. | |
| | | | |
| | 1911 | The Dillingham Commission report was issued which distinguished between "Old Immigrants" from Northern Europe and "New Immigrants", which were categorized as inferior, from countries in Asia and Southern Europe. | |
| | | | |
| | 1921 | The 1921 Emergency Quota Act used percentage system to restrict the number of immigrants from a given country | |
| | | | |
| | 1924 | The Immigration Act of 1924 further restricted the number of immigrants from a given country. 87% of permits went to immigrants from Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia (the "Old Immigrants" | |
| | | | |
| | 1945 | The War Brides and Fiancées Acts allowed American Soldiers to bring their foreign partners, including many English girls, to the US | |
| | | | |
| | 1900's | The English Immigration to America decreased as English people who wanted to emigrate turned to Canada and Australia. | |
| | | | |
| | | English Immigration to America Timeline | |